1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to fishing reels that wind line on a spool. More particularly, the present invention relates to a bail bias mechanism configured to selectively align line onto a spool when in a closed retrieval position or to release line from the spool, when in an open casting position.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Fishing reels are customarily fitted with a rotating member known as a rotor, on which two integral rotor arms carry a bail mechanism. The use of selective bail mechanisms on fishing reels to control line alignment on the spool is known. These mechanisms are commonly referred to in the art as bail systems or bail mechanisms. Prior art bail systems are taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,676,450 issued to Carpenter et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,747,559 issued to Hitomi, U.S. Pat. No. 4,848,695 issued to Kaneko, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,923,140 issued to Yamaguchi et al. These and other prior art bail systems share a common function, i.e. to pivot a line guide over the face of a related spool and bias the line guide in one of two positions relative to the spool. In the closed position, the line guide controls winding of the fishing line on the spool as the fisherman cranks the reel handle. In the open position, the line guide allows line to be freely released from the spool as the fisherman casts a lure attached to the free end of the fishing line. These and other prior art bail systems also share a common disadvantage in that their assembly is quite intricate, involving a complex assembly of springs and levers which are costly to make and assemble. These prior art bail systems use a compressed biasing spring and moveable cam levers to press and hold the bail wire assembly in either the open or closed positions. Specifically, the biasing spring pushes against the bail banjo or bail hinge of the bail wire assembly to hold the bail wire assembly in either the open or closed position.
Furthermore, to simplify the assembly of the rotors, many known bail systems install the biasing spring means in one of the rotor arms, and install the moveable cam lever in the other rotor arm. This configuration of spring and lever parts in separate rotor arms upsets the rotational balance of the combination of the rotor and bail system, causing the reel to jiggle as the fisherman cranks the reel to retrieve line. To overcome this fault, prior art fishing reels employ critically positioned counterweights positioned on the rotor to counteract the unbalanced condition.
While the prior art bail mechanisms fulfill their respective objectives and requirements, they do not describe or suggest a tension spring bail mechanism, wherein a tension spring biases the bail mechanism in both the open and closed positions, by applying a pulling force rather than a pushing force to the components of the bail assembly. The use of the tensioning spring allows for a bail mechanism having simple, easy-to-assemble parts. The invention also allows for the components of the bail wire biasing mechanism to be placed in the rotor arm located on the opposite side of the heavier side of the bail, thereby substantially reducing the need for counter weights.